The Winter Olympics are just weeks away from getting underway, and excitement is beginning to build across the hockey world as national teams begin to announce and finalize their rosters. While traditional powerhouses like Canada and the United States will once again command much of the spotlight, several other participating nations will be looking to make an impact in the ice hockey tournament.

Here are some players within the Detroit Red Wings organization who could potentially participate in the Winter Olympics. They may not be suiting up for the sport’s biggest superpowers, but each could play a meaningful role for their country and gain valuable experience competing against some of the best players in the world on the Olympic stage.

Eduards Tralmaks - Latvia 

Latvia has emerged as one of the fastest-rising nations in hockey. Once a frequent relegation team at tournaments such as the World Juniors and World Championships, the program has now established itself among the sport’s elite and is producing an increasing number of NHL players. Currently, Latvia boasts four skaters and two goaltenders in the NHL, with several other Olympic hopefuls playing in leagues around the world, including the AHL.

T-MAK WITH HIS FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK 🧢 pic.twitter.com/9ZTQEtzoYv

— Grand Rapids Griffins (@griffinshockey) November 26, 2025

Tralmaks is one of six Latvian skaters competing in the AHL and is tied for second in scoring among them with Providence Bruins forward Dans Ločmelis, trailing only Sandis Vilmanis of the Charlotte Checkers by a single point. Latvia faces a challenging Olympic group, matched up against the United States along with rising hockey nations Germany and Denmark. For Tralmaks, the Olympics could provide a major opportunity to prove himself on an international stage and potentially raise his profile with a strong performance.

Michal Svrcek - Slovakia

Slovakia has remained competitive at the World Juniors, and Svrcek has put together a solid tournament, recording a goal and an assist through four games. He is set to face Canada in the quarterfinals, a matchup that could present opportunities against a Canadian squad that has surrendered its share of goals.

Looking ahead to the Olympics, Slovakia is expected to feature nine NHL players, including high-profile names such as Juraj Slafkovský and Šimon Nemec. Beyond those nine, depth becomes a concern, as Slovakia has only about ten additional skaters in the AHL. That limited pool may force management to look elsewhere for reinforcements, including other professional leagues or even junior talent. 

🇸🇰 GOAL🚨 Michal Svrcek scores on the power play as 🇸🇰 now leads 🇺🇸 4-3 !

Listen to the #WorldJuniors LIVE🎧 https://t.co/iPxs8pyU9H

pic.twitter.com/f8EnhAiAco

— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) December 30, 2025

Svrcek fits that profile well as a recent fourth-round pick, he is enjoying an excellent season in Sweden’s U20 Nationell league with Brynäs IF, where he has totaled 14 points in nine games. Given his strong play and upward trajectory, he could be one of several prospects from Slovakia’s system considered for Olympic selection.

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Michal Pradel - Slovakia 

With no Slovak goaltenders currently in the NHL and only a limited presence in North America, Slovakia may be inclined to lean on whoever is performing best at the World Juniors. After taking over the starting role in the team’s second game of the tournament, Pradel elevated his play immediately, delivering a standout 31-save performance in a 4–1 victory over Germany.

Michal Pradel(3rd round’25)
35 saves 6 GA in a 6-5 loss
Despite the 6 goals thought he played pretty well. He probably wants the goal where it went through his arm back but he made some outstanding saves as well. #LGRWpic.twitter.com/quzbskPItQ

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) December 30, 2025

That showing earned him the net for the next two starts, beginning with a challenging matchup against the United States. Facing one of the strongest junior lineups in the world, Pradel made several highlight-level saves and kept Slovakia competitive, stopping 35 shots in a narrow 6–5 loss despite allowing six goals. He was steady again overall, though his most recent start against Switzerland showed some vulnerability, as the Swiss capitalized early and held on for a 3–2 win, with Pradel stopping 15 of 18 shots.

At just 18 years old, Pradel remains very much a developing goaltender, and Slovakia’s management may ultimately prefer more experienced options. However, if they choose to reward recent form, bringing Pradel along in a depth role could make sense, allowing him to gain valuable experience and learn alongside veteran goaltenders.

Kevin Bicker - Germany

Germany has traditionally been known more as a soccer nation than a hockey powerhouse, but its hockey programs have steadily grown in recent years, fueled by the emergence of NHL stars such as Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stützle, and Moritz Seider. Despite that progress, Germany’s player pool in North America remains limited, with only six NHL players and four skaters in the AHL.

Because of that lack of depth, Germany may need to look toward its junior and domestic programs for additional options. One potential candidate is 20-year-old Kevin Bicker, a Red Wings prospect selected in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft. As one of the rarer NHL draft picks to emerge from Germany, Bicker showed enough ability at the junior level to earn selection and now represents a viable option for the national team.

Kevin Bicker(5th round’23)
1 Goal +3 1 SOG 8:25 TOI in a 5-4 OTL#LGRWpic.twitter.com/0Cv4ksun7w

— Red Wings Prospects (@LGRWProspects) December 28, 2025

With few German players competing in North America, attention could shift back home, where Bicker currently plays in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) with Löwen Frankfurt. A strong showing against elite international competition could help solidify his place on Team Germany and potentially influence Detroit’s decision to offer him an entry-level contract.

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Buffalo GM Jarmo Kekalainen indicated after taking control of the Sabres last month that resuming negotiations with winger Alex Tuch, and according to the Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, he has already been in contact with agent Brian Bartlett and that contract discussions are expected to continue into January.

The issue that appears to be the sticking point is Tuch’s asking price, which has reportedly been in excess of $10 million per season on an eight-year max deal, close to what LA Kings forward Adrian Kempe signed for earlier in the season, but there is not any proof to this point whether the Sabres stance has loosened since October, when Tuch paused talks with the club. 

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The clock is ticking on the Sabres, as they have to make some progress and get the 29-year-old winger locked up before the March 6th trade deadline or trade him, which conceivably could bring back a considerable return. 

Another potential ticking clock that Kekalainen inherited was the Sabres goaltending situation. The veteran GM indicated that he was on board with the club claiming Colten Ellis off waivers from St. Louis and thus maintaining three goalies on the NHL roster, but that addition pretty much ruled out once-prized Sabres prospect Devon Levi playing in the NHL this season. 

Levi signed a two-year, $1.625 million deal with the Sabres this summer, and did not have any leverage since he did not qualify to be a restricted free agent with the ability to sign an offer sheet. The 24-year-old was waiver exempt and demoted after training camp after putting up two excellent seasons in the AHL with Rochester. This season his numbers have slipped slightly (11-5-4, 2.82 GAA, .906 save %). 

The dilemma Buffalo faces is that Levi, like Ellis this season, will not be waiver exempt next year. Kekalainen could use the young goalie as a trade commodity in a goalie-starved league to add help and improve the club’s playoff chances before the deadline, but if he waits until the summer to make a decision, he risks getting little in return. 

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On Friday, a few Pittsburgh Penguins' players got some news that they've been waiting on for quite a while. 

And it looks like they'll be spending most of February in Milan, Italy.

It was announced that defenseman Erik Karlsson and forward Rickard Rakell made the cut for the final 2026 Swedish Olympic roster, which will mark the second time Karlsson has represented his country in the Olympics and the first time for Rakell.

Forward Bryan Rust - who was invited to Team USA's Olympic camp over the summer - did not make the final cut for Team USA.

For Karlsson, the chance to compete again at the highest-level international tournament in the world is something that he's been anticipating for a decade. And - for Rakell - it's a childhood aspiration finally realized.

"Super excited," Rakell said. "It's a dream come true for me to get the chance to play in the Olympics and represent my country. I couldn't be more excited."

As much as there was a degree of certainty for Karlsson making the final roster despite not being named as one of the First Six - he said he was a "lock" back in training camp - it was not the same situation with Rakell, especially given his longer-term injury this season and the breadth of competition for few spots on the forward front.

And there was also the fact that, for the 4 Nations Face-off last February, he was left off the initial roster despite being in the midst of a career season. He was eventually named as an injury replacement, he competed in the tournament, and he finished his NHL season with career-highs in goals (35) and points (70). 

So, for those reasons, he wasn't entirely sure that he would make the cut. But he's glad that he did. 

"Yeah, obviously, that's all you want," Rakell said. "You never know if it's the last chance you get to play in a tournament like that, and you're thinking about it pretty much all of last year, all of summer, and coming into this year, and you never know with the injuries and all that happens, what's going to happen to you.

"Ultimately, it's coaches' decision to make the team, so even though you don't want to think about it too much, you just try to focus on your game here and try to give your best every night. I was really excited to get the call."

Sweden Announces Men's 2026 Olympic Hockey Roster: Full ListSweden named the 25 players representing the men's national hockey team at the 2026 Olympics, including both Minnesota Wild goaltenders.

Rakell is also excited to have the opportunity to share his first Olympic experience with his teammate in Karlsson, who Rakell has become close friends with since the blueliner's arrival in Pittsburgh during the summer of 2023.

"I'm very happy to go with him and just share that moment together," Rakell said. "Obviously, since the day he got here, we didn't really know each other before, but we've become really good friends, and I'm super excited to see him [there]. He's going to be a top player on our team there, and just watching him here every day and get to see him, get to learn from him... it's a lot of fun."

Karlsson also sees the value in having someone like Rakell on the roster because of his situational versatility and ability to perform on big stages. 

"I think he’s shown over the last couple of years that he’s a capable player in situations like that," Karlsson said. "I think he had a good 4 Nations. He’s a guy that can play up and down the lineup and a reliable guy. So, I’m happy that he got the recognition for it, and very well-deserved.”

USA Hockey Reveals Men's 2026 Olympic Roster: Full ListUSA Hockey named the 25 players representing the men's national team at the 2026 Olympics.

Karlsson competed in the 2014 Olympics in Sochi, when the Swedes lost to Sidney Crosby and Team Canada in the gold medal game. Although he joked about having "not very good memories" about losing to Crosby and company, he also recalled the experience as being one of the best of his playing career. 

And for the NHL to be back in the Olympics for the first time in 12 years - and for him to be a part of that - means a lot to him. 

“It’s weird," Karlsson said. "Obviously, I missed two of them in the time that [we] could have played, which is very frustrating at one point. But at the same time, there’s nothing you can do about it. So, I’m just happy that it’s back on, and hopefully, it stays this way for the younger generation and we don’t get to miss another one because it’s a very special thing to be a part of.”

He added: "Very happy that we get the chance to be back and experience it again. And, you know, hopefully, it’s not my last one.”

The Swedish Olympic roster will largely feature the same players that made the 4 Nations cut, even if there are a few alterations. Gustav Nyquist, William Karlsson, Viktor Arvidsson and Mattias Ekholm were players on the 4 Nations roster that were left off, while Gabriel Landeskog, Alexander Wennberg, Pontus Holmberg, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and Philip Broberg.

Representing Sweden at the #MilanoCortina2026#WinterOlympics... 🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/4zkB5heEgs

— NHL (@NHL) January 2, 2026

During 4 Nations, Rakell spent some time playing with Mika Zibanejad, William Nylander, and Elias Pettersson - all of whom made the cut - while Karlsson was paired with Ekholm, meaning he will have a new defense partner for the Olympics. 

Regardless, both players feel good about the group that's headed to Milan.

"I feel really good about it," Rakell said. "As a group, we learned some things at the 4 Nations, and going to the Olympics, I think we have a better view of what we can improve and learn from our mistakes there to just try to give our best effort at the Olympics."

Finland Announces Men's 2026 Olympic Hockey Roster: Full ListFinland named the 25 players representing the men's national hockey team at the 2026 Olympics. All but one of the players are in the NHL.

While the Olympics were, obviously, a heavy emphasis Friday, Rakell and Karlsson remain focused on what is right in front of them in Pittsburgh, where the team has won four of its last five games. The team plays a lot of games between now and the Olympics - 17, to be exact - and they are in the midst of a playoff race.

Not only are the NHL games in front of them important, but playing well going into the Olympics does help ensure that both players will be at the height of their game when the time comes to play in the highest level of best-on-best possible.

“Obviously, right now, I think we’re all very excited to go to Milan and compete for your nation," Karlsson said. "But at the same time, we're also very excited for the upcoming games in between with the Pittsburgh Penguins. I think that we have something good going on. We got off to a good start after the break, and that’s what we’re focusing on right now.

"So, whatever needs to be done here for this team to be successful, we’ve got to deal with. Then, when we get to Milan, we’re going to deal with what we have to do there to be successful.”

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The Edmonton Oilers are taking a bit of a risk if the lines at practice on Friday are any indication of what's to be expected in Saturday's afternoon game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Both Ike Howard and Quinn Hutson were recalled from the AHL an on the ice. Both were on the third line, with fellow rookie Matt Savoie. 

Three rookies on the third line? It's a gamble, with some serious potential for offense. 

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Quinn Hutson recorded three straight multi-point outings in the AHL before making his way back to the big club.

Goals in four straight (6G, 2A — 8 PTS).

Took reps with Howard & Savoie at Friday’s practice. #Oilerspic.twitter.com/A7HuTuGnQQ

— Tony Brar 🚀 (@TonyBrarOTV) January 2, 2026

Edmonton has struggled to find any offense from their third line of late. They wanted to create a spark so badly, they took Jack Roslovic off a successful second line and put him at center on the third line. It didn't work and Roslovic was almost immediately put back in the top six, with head coach Kris Knoblauch saying, "We made that switch putting Roslovic there. Obviously, we feel that Roslovic is a better player, but I thought Andrew [Mangiapane] did some things that helped us."

Perhaps Mangiapane did some things, but it wasn't enough. He's now an asterisk on the second line, and might be a healthy scratch. Vasily Podkolzin was under the weather and not on the ice Friday. 

Back to the third line...

Having three rookies on the ice is asking a lot of that trio. It's clear that Huston and Howard can light it up at the AHL level. Howard scored 10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points in 16 games with the Condors. Hutson has tallied 19 goals and 13 assists for 32 points in 26 games this season. Asking them to translate that over in the NHL won't be easy. And, while Savoie is a responsible two-way player, he's still fresh in the NHL, with only 46 total NHL games on his resume. 

The problems might come defensively. As sound as Savoie is, Hutson and Howard are question marks. Can the Oilers deploy that line in advantageous situations? On home ice, that's a bit easier to do. However, not always. These three will need to stay above water if they're going to see any minutes at all. The Flyers and any future opponents will try to isolate that line if they can get their top stars on the ice. 

Knoblauch wouldn't commit to the trio as a line for Saturday. He noted that there are some positives and negatives to the idea. Without an "NHL center," there is a risk. It is three smaller players, too. The positive is that they are skilled and have experience together. He noted that if he does go this route, he'll look at offensive zone starts and beneficial matchups. "There'll be some coaching," he said. 

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